


Too Little, Too Late

by daeyeols (sungyeols)



Category: Golden Child (Korea Band)
Genre: Angst, M/M, Post-Break Up, Relationship(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-17
Updated: 2017-09-17
Packaged: 2018-12-30 17:17:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,510
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12113466
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sungyeols/pseuds/daeyeols
Summary: It’s like one of Sungyoon’s favorite shirts—continuously worn until it’s all loose and old and comfortable in its own little way.





	Too Little, Too Late

**Author's Note:**

> Unbeta'd so forgive me for the errors.

Leaving is always the hardest part.   
He still remembers that Saturday afternoon. He remembers the way Daeyeol put his things in the box, slow and tedious. Sungyoon is almost tempted to take it all out and return it to where it was removed, but he doesn’t, and stays silent throughout the whole ordeal. He remembers the way Daeyeol shoves the box to him, weak and lingering. The books he owned in there, the little figurine that he gave him was there, and also Daeyeol’s favorite hoodie (which was actually his). He remembers taking it with two hands, and walking out of the unit with it. Daeyeol closes the door after him and he didn’t even dare look back because he might regret things. As if crying in the elevator wasn’t bad.    
Leaving is hard, but staying would even be harder and he knows that.    
  
-   
  
Daeyeol kicks off his flip flops and lands on the couch he’s sitting on. The older male drapes his legs on his, which was resting on the coffee table. He’s watching some documentary on the television, but ever since Daeyeol came he’s been mildly distracted. He’s leaning on him, one of his hands holding his right hand and Sungyoon can smell the fruity shampoo he uses. It doesn’t help that Daeyeol keeps on sniffing at his neck and planting little butterfly kisses on it.   
“I’m watching the TV.” he whines.   
“Yeah sure.” Daeyeol non committedly replies as he continues necking Sungyoon.   
He chuckles, as resistance is futile, and leans sideways so he’s facing Daeyeol.   
“You asked for it.” he threatens him.   
“I did.” Daeyeol stares at him in a challenging manner.   
“Oh you’re so going to get it.” and he begins tickling Daeyeol on his side, which is his weak spot. Daeyeol thrashes around as he half yells/giggles and Sungyoon can’t help but laugh. They both end up half on the floor and half on the couch and Daeyeol flicks him on the forehead.    
“Crazy.” Daeyeol mutters.   
“In love with you.” he continues, as he leans in for a kiss. Daeyeol gives in easily to the kiss and when he pulls back the taller male gives him a fond smile. Daeyeol’s eyes twinkle as he stares into them, and it kind of sucks him in like a vacuum. It’s fascinating, and if he could kiss it he probably would too.   
“I’m hungry.” Daeyeol whines as he drapes half of his body on the couch haphazardly. He hits Sungyoon with his leg in the process earning a grunt from him.   
“I’m ordering pizza.” he reaches for his phone on the stand.   
“Sure. Pizza and beer while we Netflix and chill.” Daeyeol waggles his eyebrows at him suggestively.   
“Then I’m not ordering at all since I’ll be eating a full course meal-” he teases and Daeyeol slaps him in the arm.   
“I’m really hungry so I’m not kidding! Just order the pizza Sungyoon!” he waves one of his fingers threateningly at him in the process.   
“Fine, fine your highness!”    
Daeyeol laughs, carefree throwing his head back, and Sungyoon couldn’t help but smile.   
  
-   
  
It’s 3 in the morning, and it’s exactly that time where everything is quiet sans the sound of the occasional cars passing by the road. Daeyeol and Sungyoon are walking hand in hand aimlessly through the streets, and the taller male is humming some sort of song. They’re still pretty both intoxicated since they just came out from Jiae’s party, which involved alcohol in every liquid based item in the house. Honestly he just wants to go home and drink coffee or nap, but Daeyeol insisted they walk around the neighborhood. It’s not like he can resist the older male’s charms and whims, so there they go walking around the neighborhood at 3 in the morning. For some reason he sobers up from all the walking.   
Daeyeol looks at peace as he walks, tripping every now and then. Clearly he’s not sobering up any time soon. Still in that state, he takes Sungyoon’s breath away. Daeyeol can get naggy and annoying sometimes, but deep beyond him is a carefree person who likes reading books and taking walks around to distract himself. He’s so human that it amazes Sungyoon to no extent.    
Daeyeol gets tired at some point and retires at a playground swing in the park.   
“I love you.” Daeyeol blurts out of nowhere.   
“I love you too, you know.” he answers back.   
“Sometimes it scares me. How I can love you that much? I’m scared that there will be nothing left for myself.” the older male admits and Sungyoon stares at him. This isn’t the first time Daeyeol has been like this when he was drunk, and Sungyoon finds it endearing how he keeps on spilling his innermost thoughts sounding as if he’s sober.   
He gets up from where he sits in the swing, and stands in front of Daeyeol. He takes both of his hands and holds it.   
“You don’t have to worry about leaving nothing for yourself, because you have me to remind you and give back to you. I’m your protector, I told you that. I’ll protect you and help you and love you to the best of my ability.” he pulls Daeyeol up and hugs him.    
“Okay. I’ll hold you to that.” Daeyeol says through the fabric of his shirt.    
“Okay. Now let’s go home?”   
  
-   
  
There was no warning, no red flag, no notice or memorandum. It just happened.    
It felt like routine—which is one of the worst things to ever happen—and they just got tired of it. They felt too comfortable and stagnant. It’s like one of Sungyoon’s favorite shirts—continuously worn until it’s all loose and old and comfortable in its own little way. But it’s not at its best quality anymore, and that is exactly where they stood.   
He’s actually going through their laundry, fixing the pile of dirty clothes, when Daeyeol comes up to him to say the words he dreaded the most.   
It wasn’t  _ let’s break up _ , or  _ I hate you _ , or  _ I’m in love with someone else. _   
“I’m not happy anymore.” Daeyeol stood there in front of him as he said it with finality, like there is nothing Sungyoon could do to change it.   
“Where did I go wrong?” he barely even says it. He’s stunned on the floor, and it hurts. An indescribable feeling of pain creeping up to him, and he’s horrified.   
“Nothing.”    
He barely remembers what happened after that. He remembers talking, begging to sort it out with him because there still might be a chance, even an inkling of it, but Daeyeol is as strong as a brightly sparkling diamond when it comes to his resolve.    
Sungyoon remembers crying, and he hates it.    
  
-   
  
Sungyoon remembers all the good things and the bad things that came out from it.   
Stored in a box in his head, the memories of when they first went on a date and their amusement park trips, their late night escapades, their adventures, their shared nights of passion and their simple gestures, that’s what got to him the most.    
There’s a bittersweet feeling to it that he could never shake off, even though he tells himself he’s over it. He’s been through a hell of a lot to get past it either, and at this point he’s just exhausted.   
It still hurts, and there are some days that it’s still just unbearable. He loved him as strong as the blackness of the sky when it’s in between late evening and early morning, as intensely as a hurricane, and as purely as the whitest snowflake. There have been days that it was bad enough that he couldn’t leave the house. It was unbearable and getting up was too much.   
The first thing he does is start anew with his life. As if he discarded an already full and overused sketch pad, he flips his life to a new page. It has been going well for him so far, he has a stable job that he likes, good friends around, but somehow every person he dated is not the right person. It feels wrong, like wearing loose gloves.    
It’s only years after they separated that they cross paths again, and this time Daeyeol is accompanied by a taller guy with black hair and a dazzling smile. Daeyeol is laughing at something that the tall guy is saying, with his head tipping back the way he always does. The guy has his arm around Daeyeol and they’re walking on the other side of the road.    
He wanted to cross the road, but then what? He’s going to be greeted as an acquaintance, introduced to the guy who is making him laugh, and offer a obligatory ‘let’s hang out sometime’ which is actually never going to happen?    
So he walks away again, briskly walking on the other side of the road.    
Leaving is hard, and staying in something that pains another is harder, but knowing you can never have something back as good as true love is the hardest.

**Author's Note:**

> For Roi who gave me the prompt, thank you! Don't forget to leave a kudos and comment on your way out!


End file.
